


Just One Night

by justjoy



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-18
Updated: 2011-01-18
Packaged: 2017-12-24 12:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/940022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justjoy/pseuds/justjoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To everyone else, they never can get along, forever bickering about something or the other.</p>
<p>She thought so too... until one night changed that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just One Night

There was a sharp rap on the door. "May I come in, Ukitake-taichou?"

The white-haired taicho looked up, smiling as he recognised the voice. "Of course, Ise-fukutaichou!"

With a soft creak, the door slid open to reveal the long-suffering fukutaichou of the Eighth Division struggling to balance a rather substantial stack of papers on one arm.

"I've completed all the reports as requested. Would you like to look through them now?" The papers landed on Ukitake's desk with an audible _thump_ as she spoke.

"I'm impressed, Ise-san." Ukitake leafed through the first few pieces on top of the stack, though mostly for show – it was well known that Nanao's work was the most meticulous in the whole of Sereitei, with perhaps the sole exception of Toushirou. "Yours is the first division to submit the reports to me."

He paused at one document, looking at it contemplatively. "You do know that this is supposed to be signed by your taichou, right?"

Sighing, Nanao nodded her head. "I couldn't find Kyoraku-taichou, so I had to sign it myself instead."

"Ah, I see." A small smile tugged at the corner of Ukitake's mouth. "That should be fine, then. You're leaving already?"

The fukutaichou nodded as she stood. "I need to go before taichou destroys any more paperwork irreparably."

A grimace crossed her face as both of them recalled the last time such an incident had occurred, involving a rather thick stack of paperwork, some sake, and an overturned candle – proving once and for all that alcohol was quite flammable.

Ukitake chuckled at the recollection. "Then you had better hurry back, Ise-fukutaichou."

She had already stepped out of the room before he spoke again. "Nanao-san…"

"Yes?" Nanao stopped, turning back to regard him questioningly.

"Don't be too hard on Shunsui. You and I both know that he's not had it easy."

She held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "I'll try."

The smile returned to Ukitake's face as he contemplated the retreating figure of his friend's fukutaichou.

_You're lucky to have her, Shunsui. Treasure her well._

* * *

The rain was already starting to fall from the night sky when Nanao stepped out of her office, determined to find her taichou. Fortunately, it didn't take her long to track down his distinctive reiatsu as it sometimes did.

Shaking her head, she leaped up to the roof of the division's barracks in a quick flash step, landing lightly beside the sleeping figure. "Taichou! It's raining, so go indoors if you want to sleep!"

Her efforts were rewarded with a snore.

She half-glared at her taichou in exasperation for several minutes, willing him to move, before she sighed.

"I give up. Don't you dare blame me if you catch a cold tomorrow!" She turned away with a huff of annoyance, fully intending to leave - then stopped when she heard a low murmur, barely there at the edge of hearing.

Nanao sighed, kneeling down beside her taichou. "What did you say?"

"Don't – " The usually playful and insouciant voice was reduced to a mere whisper. " – don't go, Lisa-chan…"

_Lisa?_

Eyes wide, Nanao stared at him – he wasn't really awake yet, or he  _couldn't_  possibly have said that… could he?

Her reply came out automatically, in a stammer. "I – I'm not Yadomaru-fukutaichou. It's Nanao."

There was a sound that could have passed for a drunken chuckle in other circumstances. "Don't be ridiculous, Lisa-chan. Nanao-chan's still a little girl… you read to her every month, remember?"

A brief pause hung in the air, filled only by the patter of raindrops on the roof.

She opened her mouth to say something, _anything_ –

"I envy you and Nanao-chan… no-one looks up to me like she does to you, you know? And… and I think she doesn't really like me…"

His voice trailed off into nothingness, leaving only silence to keep Nanao company.

As the soft snores from her taichou resumed, Nanao looked at him with a mixture of confusion and surprise. Had he really just said what she thought he had?

It was admittedly well-known that Kyoraku Shunsui could be as ruthless as he was usually roguish. She herself knew well that her taicho was far from being cold-hearted, especially considered to others of his rank. But to hear him say it so openly, even given that he was half-asleep…

Ukitake's words from earlier in the day flooded back into her mind.

_You and I both know he's not had it easy…_

She was brought back to reality by a distant clap of thunder. The rain was getting heavier, and both of them would be completely soaked soon at this rate.

Nanao sighed again.

"Fine, then, taichou." She stood up, her gaze still on the sleeping figure. "I guess I'll have to join you in this… stupidity."

Any passerby might have been amused at the sight of the pair on the rooftop, getting drenched in the pouring rain.

But there wasn't anything the least bit funny about it to Nanao as she carefully placed the umbrella she had brought so that it covered as much of her taichou as possible.

She looked out into the distance, hugging her knees tightly – the long day was starting to catch up to her, making her yawn –

A sudden thought struck her.

"Taichou?"

His reply was barely understandable. "Yes, Lisa-chan?"

She hesitated for a split second before continuing. "I'm sure Nanao looks up to you a lot too. She told me so herself."

"That's... good to know…" A small smile seemed to spread across his face. "Thank you, Lisa-chan…"

This time, when Nanao looked down at her taichou, there was something different in her expression – it was gentle and caring, a far cry from her usually harsh countenance. 

"Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all… sleep well, taichou."

If a few drops of water were running down her face... well, that was just the rain.

For this one night, Nanao could forget everything her taichou had done to irritate her. For this one night, she wouldn't correct him even if he called her _Lisa-chan_.

For this one night, she was content to think of him as nothing but her taichou, and stay by his side as any good subordinate would.

For just one night.

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted on FanFiction.Net [here](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6666790/1/Just-One-Night).]


End file.
